In the center of Olomouc, a fountain dedicated to Jan Sarkander was unveiled

Olomouc - The center of the regional city of Olomouc today witnessed the ceremonial unveiling of the eighth fountain. The more than six-meter-high fountain, crafted by academic sculptor Otmar Oliva, is dedicated to Saint John Sarkander, and people can find it near the chapel of the same name on Michalské Hill. Today, the living water spring that flows into the fountain from the chapel's well was blessed by the Archbishop of Olomouc, Jan Graubner. Several hundred Olomouc residents did not miss the unveiling of this extraordinary work of art today.
    "Olomouc is known as a city of fountains. With this fountain of Saint John Sarkander, there will be a new addition to the existing seven fountains. We believe this will benefit the city primarily by revitalizing the historic center of Olomouc. It will also serve as a reminder of a personality who lived in Olomouc," said Olomouc Deputy Mayor Ladislav Šnevajs (KDU-ČSL) today to ČTK.
    The idea to bring the spring water from the basement of the torture chamber, what is now the saint's chapel, to a publicly accessible place was proposed years ago by the People's Party MP and Olomouc resident Tomáš Kvapil. His inspiration came from the visit of Pope John Paul II to Olomouc and the canonization of John Sarkander.
    The actual design of the fountain was ultimately shaped by sculptor Otmar Oliva. The entire work stands 6.2 meters high. The bronze part of the statue, which weighs about half a ton, was cast together with friends in Velehrad. "This has two years of life in it. Fundamental things are hard to create. One must rely on the basic principles that I could take from Sarkander. It is a symbol of fidelity," said the sculptor to ČTK today. He noted that he looked at the spot where the fountain is now located from the window of the opposite school for four years. "For four years I looked at this place, and I really liked it. Then I went to Rome and saw the same place there, absolutely identical. Olomouc has the same configuration as Rome," the sculptor added. He stated that the task was clear - to bring the spring of living water from the chapel outside. "The task was clear. And then it's a game," Oliva added.
    According to Deputy Šnevajs, the city obtained 1.5 million crowns from the Ministry of Culture for the construction, and the Olomouc municipality released another 600,000 crowns from its budget.
    The unveiling of the new fountain today was accompanied by celebrations for the three-hundredth anniversary of the consecration of the Church of Saint Michael. The celebrations included today's ceremonial mass and a city pilgrimage to Sarkander's chapel. People will also be able to commemorate the anniversary in June with a lecture and a guided tour of the church. The celebrations will conclude at the end of July with a concert by a boys' choir from Germany.
    Visitors to Olomouc can already reflect on the local landmarks and the personality of John Sarkander through two exhibitions. An exhibition titled "History of the Church of Saint Michael" can be found in the church's cloister and an exhibition titled "Saint John Sarkander" in the basement of the chapel of the same name. Both exhibitions will be accessible to the public throughout the tourist season.
    John Sarkander was born in 1576. He served in spiritual administration at various locations in Moravia, most recently from 1616 as a parish priest in Holešov. In 1620 he was falsely accused, imprisoned, and succumbed to torture in the Olomouc prison in March. In May 1995, John Sarkander was canonized by Pope John Paul II in Olomouc.